1st candidate files for school board seat

Paul Smith of Linwood became the new campaign season's first candidate to declare his intent to seek a position on the Basehor-Linwood School Board Monday when he filed with the Leavenworth County Clerk's Office.

Smith, 36, a technical analyst for Sprint and a part-time real estate agent, will be vying for school board Position 6, which encompasses all territory south of the Sherman Township boundary line, Kansas Highway 32 and Hemphill Road, and extending to the Kansas River.

"There are goals I want to help the district accomplish," said Smith, who listed preparing the district for anticipated area growth and "doing what's best for the children" as goals he'd aspire to as school board member.

"I'd like to help the district prepare for growth that I feel is going to be happening in the future."

Smith, who has two children attending Basehor-Linwood schools, is a member of the district advisory council and frequently attends school board meetings. He said he consulted with Christ Claflin, who currently represents Position 6 but is not seeking re-election, before filing for April 2005 election.

Smith said he spoke with Claflin about what being a school board member entails and the time commitment the job requires. Smith said he hopes to serve Position 6 in the same quality manner as did Claflin.

"I heard he wasn't going to run," Smith said. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have (filed). He did a fine job and I wouldn't have had a problem with him doing it again."

Thus far, Smith is the only candidate to file for the '05 school board race, according to the Leavenworth County Clerk's Office. Publicly, only Smith and current Position 5 representative Pat Jeannin have said they will seek office.

Position 5 includes all territory south of Parallel Road and extending to the Sherman Township boundary line.

Position 4, currently represented by Mike Laffere, has no candidates as of yet. Laffere, who was appointed by the school board earlier this year to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of then-board member Ron Owen, has told The Sentinel he won't seek election this spring.